Guwahati, Oct. 31: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) today suggested that the Assam Football Association (AFA) move Dispur for proper maintenance of Sarusajai sports complex in view of Guwahati being shortlisted as one of the venues for Fifa under-17 World Cup football tournament in 2017.

Inspecting the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in the same complex for the India-Yemen match to be played on November 14, AIFF assistant general secretary and director competitions Anil Kamat today said football has a fan following in Guwahati but lamented that there was lack of government support for the sport. “The infrastructure has remained the same since we hosted the international friendly last year. I would like to suggest the AFA to request the government to maintain the stadium properly in view of India’s under-17 World Cup bid because Guwahati is being shortlisted, along with five other cities, as a venue,” Kamat said.

The Indian team will land here on November 11 and will be accommodated at Hotel Gateway Grandeur while Yemen will arrive the next day and will be put up at Hotel Nakshatra.

Kamat hoped the turnout for the November 14 match where India, ranked 168th, will be playing Yemen, ranked 157th, will be better than the last match between India and Malaysia “because this is a Fifa date match where both the teams will be full strength”.

The date, however, clashed with Diwali celebrations and the match will kick off at 5.30pm under floodlights. He confirmed that star Indian players like Sunil Chhetry would be in the team “except for few who have been recuperating from injuries sustained in the ongoing I-League and other tournaments”.

The AFA secretary also remarked that the match will help Guwahati in establishing as a potential venue for the U-17 world cup. “Guwahati is already shortlisted amongst six potential venues for the prestigious event.

The other venues include Goa, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. Odisha is also under consideration,” Dutta concluded.

This is the stadium where many ODIs were played. last ODI was played around 2 years ago. here onwards all upcoming ODIs will be played in Assam cricket association's new and under construction stadium at borsapara, guwahati. it will be a world class stadium with 60000 seating capacity .

Guwahati, Nov. 1: Guwahati is expecting an artificial football turf after Imphal and Shillong in the region by next year.

This was disclosed by AIFF vice-president and Assam Football Association (AFA) secretary Ankur Dutta here yesterday saying that the AFA has moved Fifa through the AIFF for an artificial turf and the project could be approved of by next year.

“We have requested Fifa for the turf at our own football training centre ground at Vijay Nagar (on the city outskirts) and hope it will be approved of in the next phase of sanctions by next year,” he said.

“We could have applied for it earlier too but did not have our own ground which is mandatory for the sanction under Vision Asia as well as Fifa Gold project,” Dutta added.

“The Fifa rules stipulate that the ground will have to be exclusively a football field so that it can be leased out for at least 30 years because the AIFF, Fifa and the state football body can utilise it any time for development of football,” AIFF assistant general secretary Anil Kamat, who was with Dutta, explained.

Kamat also said once the turf is laid, the Fifa would also assist in erecting stands around it.

The Vijay Nagar infrastructure has been lying unutilised ever since it was inaugurated by chief minister Tarun Gogoi over two years ago because of a paucity of funds on the part of the AFA for developing it into a full-fledged football training centre.

GUWAHATI: The Union ministry of youth and sports on Thursday sanctioned Rs 9.31 crore to the state for development and maintenance of playgrounds in 666 village panchayats and 44 block panchayats under Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA).

In 2009, the ministry had sanctioned an amount of Rs 4.81 crore to the state for the development and maintenance of playgrounds in 333 village panchayats and 22 block panchayats.

Under the PYKKA, which was introduced in 2008-09, playgrounds were developed and maintained in villages and block panchayats across the country in a phased manner. Competitions are conducted annually at block, district, state and national level in these playgrounds.

The scheme aims at creation of basic sports infrastructure in 2.50 lakh village panchayats and 6,400 block panchayats in a phased manner over a period of 10 years. It provides 100 per cent central assistance to states and union territories for holding annual rural sports competitions at block, district, state and national levels. .

Under the scheme, each village panchayat and each block panchayat will be given a one-time seed capital grant of Rs1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively. In addition, while village panchayats will be given an annual acquisition grant and annual operational grant at Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 per annum, block panchayats will be given Rs 20,000 and 24,000 respectively.

Piku Dutta, Guwahati (Nov 1): Assam may soon have two exclusive football stadiums as the state government on the lookout for land to set up the ambitious projects.

Assam sports minister Ajit Singh told Seven Sisters Post that the government is looking for plots of land for constructing two exclusive football stadiums in the state. “The state government is serious to develop the game of football, including the infrastructure. We are on a lookout for plots of land where two exclusive football stadiums can be set up so that the game of football gets a boost,” Singh said after inspecting the Sarusajai Stadium on Thursday which will host the India-Yemen Fifa date football friendly on November 14.

Congress youth leader Gaurav Gogoi along with director of Assam directorate of sports and youth welfare, Gaurav Bothra, and Assam Football Association (AFA) secretary Ankur Dutta visited the stadium to take stock of the preparation for the high-voltage game. The minister also expressed hope that the state will benefit from the Fifa schemes once a football stadium is established.
“We have good multi-purpose stadiums which have good football ground like the Sarusajai Stadium and the Nehru Stadium which are capable of hosting any international match. However, an exclusive soccer stadium will be of immense benefit,” Singh stated. The minister along with the others, who inspected the ground, expressed satisfaction at the preparation.

“The stadium is all set to welcome the Indian and the Yemenis team. Ground condition, infrastructure, other facilities like power backup, dressing room, media box, medical facilities are satisfactory,” Singh noted.

It may be noted that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) have appealed to the AFA to play more pro-active role for development of the game in the state as well as the r egion.

Assistant general secretary and director competitions of the federation Anil Kamat told Seven Sisters Post during his visit to the Sarusajai Stadium for inspection on Wednesday that Assam being a frontrunner in the game of football, the state association should play a more proactive role so that they can set examples to other northeastern states to follow suit.

“States like Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya have their own football stadiums which entitled them to the Fifa schemes. Once Assam has such a stadium, the state too will be benefited from all fronts,” Kam at had remarked.

Gaurav Gogoi, who is a vivid football follower, also expressed hope that Assam will soon have football stadium of its own.
“We have taken several initiatives by inviting players of Baichung Bhutia’s stature to the state for further popularization of the game. Moreover, the AFA too had successfully hosted the India-Malaysia international friendly last year which had helped in giving exposure to Guwahati as a potential international venue for football,” Gogoi said.

Gogoi further assured that he would request the government to fabricate dressing rooms in the Sarusajai Stadium as per the Fifa norms. “This beautiful stadium lacks the dressing room facilities. We would definitely have dressing rooms in the stadium as per the norms set by the world football governing body before the Under17 world cup which India will be the potential host and Guwahati a perspective venue,” Gogoi remarked.

Ladies first to wield the willow at Barsapara
- Assam women triumph over Odisha in East Zone fixture for very first match hosted at ground

Guwahati, Nov. 4: The first ball was a dot and the fifth produced a single.

Yet, both bowler Monikha Das of Assam and opener Madhuri Meheta of Odisha walked into the annals of history — the history of the Barsapara ground, which hosted its first cricket match today.

It was “ladies first”, too, as Assam played Odisha in an East Zone women’s limited-over cricket tournament fixture.

Das, the 20-year-old medium pacer and the skipper of the Assam girls’ team that lifted the under-19 title last year, bowled the first ball at the Barsapara ground of the Rs 150-crore stadium here.

Meheta hit the first run — a single off the fifth ball of the first over.

Sarita Mehar’s was the first wicket to tumble, bowled by Das off the last delivery of her second over, making her the first wicket-taker on the ground.

It was an altogether different atmosphere where cricket drew a decent crowd of over 2,500, including women and children, after a long time.

Even Ranji Trophy matches played annually in the city hardly draw a bigger crowd.

“This is more than history for us. We look forward to this infrastructure to revolutionise cricket as well as other sport in our locality, apart from the state,” said Anima Barman, a resident of adjoining Dhirenpara who turned up with her kids at 8.30 in the morning to witness the historic event.

However, everybody missed one person at the event this morning — veteran curator Sunil Baruah, who passed away a fortnight ago.

On October 14, when the ACA offered puja at the stadium as part of the ground’s inaugural programme, Baruah, who had been the custodian of all the pitches in the state, breathed his last after returning from the stadium.

Another man who could not enjoy the historic moment was Klorophyll (India) Sports Turf Technology and Construction Pvt Ltd’s official Joy Dutta, who has been working on the ground for the past two years.

“I am not happy with the pitch. It is not behaving the way I wanted it to be. But, the fault lies with the BCCI. Had it been consistent in its decisions, it would have been a better pitch by now,” Dutta, who preferred to sit alone on the first deck of the triple-decker south stand, told The Telegraph apparently frustrated by every ball that kept low.

“The ground and pitch (work for which started in May 2010) were ready in April this year but BCCI curator Venkat Sundaram objected to the grass and recommended another variety before changing his mind again. Had this inconsistency not been there, the pitch would have been harder and better,” Dutta said.

He was, however, “very happy with the outfield” which was fast and even.

The pitch is laid with the black cotton soil imported from Andhra Pradesh and the outfield with sand soil for better cushioning and absorption of water.

While the north and south stands are almost complete, construction is under way at the east and west stands.

Inaugurating the ground and the match, Assam Cricket Association president Gautam Roy said the stadium would be formally inaugurated by chief minister Tarun Gogoi after construction of the club house and the swimming pool are completed.

The construction of the stadium started in 2006.

By the time the day was over, another historical statistic crept in: Assam won the first match played.
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Guwahati, Nov. 6: The BCCI has approved of the new cricket stadium at Barsapara ground here as a new venue and allowed the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) to host a Cooch Behar Trophy (under-19) tournament match at the ground after the ongoing BCCI East Zone women’s limited overs tournament matches.

“The ground and pitches committee, led by Daljit Singh, has found the venue satisfactory on the basis of the match referee Pankaj Dharmani’s report on the East Zone women’s one day tournament matches. Therefore, it is approved of as a new venue for BCCI junior domestic tournaments from the current season,” ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said today. The committee’s east zone representative Ashish Bhowmick was also present during the first match at the ground between Assam and Odisha women on Sunday. “We will now host Jammu and Kashmir against us in the CB Trophy match at the same ground from December 1 to 4,” he added. He further said if the wickets turn out to be satisfactory, “we will expect to host Ranji Trophy matches there by the next season”.

Inaugurating the ground and the match, Assam Cricket Association president Gautam Roy said the stadium would be formally inaugurated by chief minister Tarun Gogoi after construction of the club house and the swimming pool are completed.

Addressing a crowded press conference here today, State PHE Minister and president of ACA Gautom Roy said till today around Rs 91 crore has been spent for constructing the stadium and out of that around Rs 34 crore has been received from BCCI. Roy said the Indian cricket board provides subsidy to all its affiliated units for the development of the game in their respective States. But ACA spends a portion from that amount for construction of the stadium.

Roy said that the State government has allotted 59 bighas of land for the stadium and an amount of Rs 1 crore from which the construction work was started in 2006.

The ACA president further revealed that in other States corporate houses purchase specific stands in the stadiums and from that they earn hefty amounts. But in Assam no corporate bodies have come forward to contribute.

ACA treasurer Ghanashyam Baruah gave details about the BCCI subsidy since 2004. He said BCCI will provide a maximum of Rs 50 crore for stadium construction and accordingly ACA has to get around Rs 16 crore for the stadium.

On Guwahati not being considered as an IPL venue, ACA secretary Bikash Baruah said ACA had applied to BCCI on September 11 last year for an IPL match. But as per the norms, team franchisee needs the match venue for a long period which is not possible in case of Guwahati as the Nehru Stadium belongs to the State Government and it is a multi discipline sports complex. Moreover the facilities required for hosting IPL match are not available in this centre.

Bikash Baruah also said that it was not known to ACA that BCCI in its affidavit to Gauhati High Court for GL Agarwala’s PIL, has said that the law and order situation in Assam was not conducive for holding IPL matches. Baruah condemned the BCCI remark on Assam, and assured the media that in the BCCI’s executive body meeting, ACA will raise the issue.

Nov. 15: The GMDA will kickstart work on the Rs 600-crore waterfront beautification project along the Brahmaputra by January.
Two British-era bungalows, overlooking the river in the Panbazar area, will be converted into heritage structures during the first phase of the project.

“The IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services) Ltd will submit the detailed project report (DPR) by this month and we should be able to finalise the plan of action by December. So, hopefully by January, we will initiate the first phase of the project,” GMDA chief executive officer (CEO) M. Angamuthu told The Telegraph today.

The project covers the stretch from Nilachal hills to the foothills of Raj Bhavan. The masterplan for the project has been prepared by the Infrastructure Development Corporation of Assam, which is a joint venture company of the GMDA and IL&FS Ltd. A preliminary survey was carried out in 2006.

“The project will be divided into three phases. In the first phase, the old deputy commissioner’s bungalow at Panbazar will be converted into a Guwahati heritage-cum-handloom museum while the DGP’s bungalow will be transformed into a police memorial, part of which will accommodate a war memorial as well. The museum will have useful information about the city’s past apart from housing an array of handloom and handicraft items,” Angamuthu said.

The development authority will, however, hand over the task of renovation of the DGP’s bungalow to Assam police. “The responsibility of renovating the DGP’s bungalow into a heritage site will shortly be handed over to Assam police,” he said.
Work on the stretch from Bharalumukh to Sukreshwar temple would be carried out in the second phase, while in the third, the stretch from Kachari market to the foothills of Raj Bhavan would be spruced up, the official said.

“Apart from recreational facilities for children, an auditorium, open-air theatre as well as parking lots among others have been included in the project. The entire process will take about five years to complete,” Angamuthu said. “The initial project cost was Rs 600 crore, but there has been an escalation because of the delay.”

Decks for the project were cleared after the GDD had recently given the go ahead. Two years back, the GDD had announced that the DC’s bungalow and other official buildings along the Brahmaputra would be vacated for the public to have access to the panoramic view of the river.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, while laying the foundation of the beautification project in February last year, dedicated the riverfront to the people saying the people need access to the natural beauty of the river as seen from the official structures.

The initial plan of the proposed riverside park covered a 6km stretch, including the portion between the DC’s office and the official residence of the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court. However, according to sources at the GMDA, the portion had to be left out to avoid further delay, as an alternative site for construction of the official structures is yet to be decided.

“We are exploring land to accommodate these official structures at Rupnagar,” the chief executive officer added.

Nov. 15: The GMDA will kickstart work on the Rs 600-crore waterfront beautification project along the Brahmaputra by January.
Two British-era bungalows, overlooking the river in the Panbazar area, will be converted into heritage structures during the first phase of the project.

“The IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services) Ltd will submit the detailed project report (DPR) by this month and we should be able to finalise the plan of action by December. So, hopefully by January, we will initiate the first phase of the project,” GMDA chief executive officer (CEO) M. Angamuthu told The Telegraph today.

The project covers the stretch from Nilachal hills to the foothills of Raj Bhavan. The masterplan for the project has been prepared by the Infrastructure Development Corporation of Assam, which is a joint venture company of the GMDA and IL&FS Ltd. A preliminary survey was carried out in 2006.

“The project will be divided into three phases. In the first phase, the old deputy commissioner’s bungalow at Panbazar will be converted into a Guwahati heritage-cum-handloom museum while the DGP’s bungalow will be transformed into a police memorial, part of which will accommodate a war memorial as well. The museum will have useful information about the city’s past apart from housing an array of handloom and handicraft items,” Angamuthu said.

The development authority will, however, hand over the task of renovation of the DGP’s bungalow to Assam police. “The responsibility of renovating the DGP’s bungalow into a heritage site will shortly be handed over to Assam police,” he said.
Work on the stretch from Bharalumukh to Sukreshwar temple would be carried out in the second phase, while in the third, the stretch from Kachari market to the foothills of Raj Bhavan would be spruced up, the official said.

“Apart from recreational facilities for children, an auditorium, open-air theatre as well as parking lots among others have been included in the project. The entire process will take about five years to complete,” Angamuthu said. “The initial project cost was Rs 600 crore, but there has been an escalation because of the delay.”

Decks for the project were cleared after the GDD had recently given the go ahead. Two years back, the GDD had announced that the DC’s bungalow and other official buildings along the Brahmaputra would be vacated for the public to have access to the panoramic view of the river.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, while laying the foundation of the beautification project in February last year, dedicated the riverfront to the people saying the people need access to the natural beauty of the river as seen from the official structures.

The initial plan of the proposed riverside park covered a 6km stretch, including the portion between the DC’s office and the official residence of the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court. However, according to sources at the GMDA, the portion had to be left out to avoid further delay, as an alternative site for construction of the official structures is yet to be decided.

“We are exploring land to accommodate these official structures at Rupnagar,” the chief executive officer added.

wow....it will really make guwahati more beautiful. Entire stretch should be made tourist spot. No other city in india enjoys such a spectacular view of natural beauty, what guwhati has to offer. Hope central govt. steps in and makes this project a truly world class .

Guwahati, Nov. 17: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi today said sports can play a pivotal role in resolving insurgency and ethnic clashes by bringing about unity and amity among different communities.

“Sports not only inculcates discipline, self-confidence, competitiveness and healthy sportsman spirit; it can also help contain insurgency by creating a congenial atmosphere,” Gogoi said, at a government function organised here by the state department of sports and youth welfare to felicitate London Olympics medal winner Mary Kom.
He handed over a cheque for Rs 20 lakh to the boxer. “Despite heavy challenges, Mary has carved out a niche for herself through sheer grit, tenacity and steely determination. She has come from the agricultural field to the sporting arena in a big way. Her great achievement in the London Olympics needs to be emulated by youngsters,” he said.

He said braving insurgency and other problems, states like Manipur and Assam are marching forward on the path of peace, progress and prosperity. The positive mindset has brought about remarkable changes, he said.

Exhorting the youth to face the challenges boldly, Gogoi said, “Confronting the challenges head-on helps you to stand in good stead in life. Mary Kom who is sitting right in front of us has shown the way.”

Gogoi also underscored the need to empower womenfolk.
The chief minister also assured that his government would extend financial assistance to Jayanta Talukdar, an archer who won a bronze medal in 2006 Asian Games, to help to prepare for the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Tarun Gogoi also said the state government was willing to set up a boxing academy to offer the state players facilities to excel in the game.

On why Assam has not been able to produce international cricketers, the 1983 World Cup winning team captain said: “There cannot be any question of a state not being able to produce players and there cannot be any dearth of cricketing talent in any part of the country. The only need is for better coaching facilities and the dedication of the players. If Jharkhand can produce Dhoni to lead the Indian team and places like Rajkot can produce Pujara, why can’t Assam produce players for the country?”

“The players should have the attitude of playing for the nation, not for a particular state,” he added.
Haryana Hurricane was in Royal Group of Institutions here to attend the opening of the Royal Global School today where he released the admission prospectus for the session 2013-14 and inaugurated an air-conditioned indoor sports complex of the school.

Interacting with the students, he said, “Commitment is a key factor for character-building, to be a good citizen or a sportsman.”

The cricket icon appealed to the parents not to force their children to study for marks in the examination or to become sportspersons. “I have never seen a gold medallist in studies doing something great themselves. I have always seen them working for others. To be someone in this world, I suggest, the child’s interests should be appreciated and guide him in the right direction,” he said.